At the National Conference Centre this week, this was a useful event. It was impressive how many research centres there are around the county. When you bring them all together in one place, it becomes unsurprising that Ireland is a buzzing place for innovation at the moment.

The event also included 13 emerging companies pitching for investment, generally looking for between 250,000 and 500,000 euros.

All the pitches had to be 2 minutes long, and this was strictly enforced. Though some presentations still seemed a little surprised by the deadline. All of the 13 presentations had some great images, and up on the big stage they looked great.

Most presentations moved smoothly. Though some were better able to quickly and clearly explain what it was that their product did, and the problem it was solving. There was the odd unexpected glitch where the speaker was surprised by the content of their slide, or the lack of one they were expecting. It was understandable of course to be a little nervous at presenting to such a large audience, but overall they all carried themselves well, and hopefully secured the funding they were looking for.

Artomatix, presented by Eric Risser for example really nailed what they did, what they were offering, and the massive potential of their product. This is one that could really take off, with massive opportunities in the gaming and film making business.

After all of the presentations investors then had the opportunity to meet one to one privately and discuss investment options. It could be interesting to watch the progress of these companies.